When wandering around Superdrug picking up vegan recs from here I got to speaking with a woman who is from Sardinia (living here in England right now). Her family village there is quite close to one where a U.K. friend has bought a house so now when visiting there I have a local connection. Sent a text to the friend while we were speaking, he spoke with her practicing his Sardinian (dialect differs from Italian). We exchanged e-mails so 'new to me' vegan products & a potential new pal for espresso meetings.

_________________"happiness is difficult to find within, impossible to find elsewhere""A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have"

Yesterday was simultaneously horrible and wonderful. So, yeah, I'm being laid off July 19th. Before I had found that out, I had signed on to volunteer my photography services last night at the big corporate annual gala. I kept my promise and went. So many colleagues of mine were so lovely and kind and supportive and rallying behind me and figuring out who they can talk to to fight this and...it was just so lovely to feel so respected and loved and appreciated from the people who directly work with me. And the director of Human Resources (who was the one who made the "final cut") and I have been having an email exchange, and she was in my photo booth several times last night and even made a point to introduce me to her husband. So. Maybe that means nothing, but I told her I'm still not giving up hope yet.

I am proud of how I've carried myself throughout this week and this adversity has had people come out of the woodwork to tell me how much they respect me.

_________________Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumblesIs this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface

Yesterday was simultaneously horrible and wonderful. So, yeah, I'm being laid off July 19th. Before I had found that out, I had signed on to volunteer my photography services last night at the big corporate annual gala. I kept my promise and went. So many colleagues of mine were so lovely and kind and supportive and rallying behind me and figuring out who they can talk to to fight this and...it was just so lovely to feel so respected and loved and appreciated from the people who directly work with me. And the director of Human Resources (who was the one who made the "final cut") and I have been having an email exchange, and she was in my photo booth several times last night and even made a point to introduce me to her husband. So. Maybe that means nothing, but I told her I'm still not giving up hope yet.

I am proud of how I've carried myself throughout this week and this adversity has had people come out of the woodwork to tell me how much they respect me.

It looks as if you respect yourself which is what really matters. You have behaved with dignity which seems to happen so seldom these days that it draws the eye.

_________________"happiness is difficult to find within, impossible to find elsewhere""A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have"

Booking a trip to Guatemala! I'm going for 2.5 weeks (not nearly long enough) next month to try to learn Spanish! I've wanted to go to Guatemala for like 6 years. I have to be back in MA for a wedding early Aug so I can't go for longer. But I have a lot of friends here to practice with when I get back and I can leave again by mid-Sept to travel somewhere for longer!

This is the best thing about yesterday ... an ex-fella of mine, now a neighbour & friend came to the weekly Humanist (living an ethical life without god) group meeting I attend.

He is from Oz so initially sat talking with another Australian. He says he will come next week. This is good for him as all he does is work (he is a solicitor / barrister) who has had quite bad luck recently with women with the current one having been arrested for going to the door of his hairdresser (a happily married woman, also a neighbour of his) and beating her up!

So rational non-legal thought is needed in his life. I was pleased to see him sitting there talking & smiling.

_________________"happiness is difficult to find within, impossible to find elsewhere""A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have"

Vegan brunch with two cogsci friends at an amazing place downtown. The owners were so impressed we'd come so far to try their food (both US coasts + Europe) and so tickled by how much we enjoyed it, that they sent us back to the conference with an armful of just-out-of-the-oven vegan cookies. (Edmontonians: We brunched at Padmanadi.)

The local co-op recently moved into a new building. It is big and beautiful and they can carry more items now.In the deli, they had a raw vegan strawberry cheesecake. oh hell yeah. it was one of the best things I have eaten in a long time. I know I could easily make my own but I can't wait to buy that one again.

I've been having horrrrible internet service through AT&T for the past two years at my apartment. Today I called a locally-based, solar-assisted ISP in my town to inquire about setting up service for my new house. I was informed that my new address, being approximately 8,000 feet from their hub, can expect download speeds of up to 6 mgps. After doing my morning speed test and seeing that AT&T is providing me with .23 mgps right now (yeah, no joke), I am very happy. Also, I called AT&T and got this entire month's bill waived because they suck so bad.

I'm really excited about the work I'm doing right now for a local artist. Her work is really beautiful and I like working for her and even though it's only like 50hrs total of work it's nice to actually be doing art stuff that I can get behind for money, rather than slinging fabric in retail or answering phones like my other jobs.

_________________Space has stared into the tiny syrup holes of our shame and it does not judge us. - Amandabear

I found out my friend who was just laid off last week (the company he worked for went bust) got a new job today. His partner was unemployed for ages and finally got a job three weeks ago so things were looking up for them and then they had this blow - but now it's all fine again. He was quite unhappy in his old job so I hope this one is better for him.

Geico commercial with the pilsbury dough boy going through security and them going through his tiny luggage only to find a tiny rolling pin. Nd he's so ticklish they can't pat him down! Makes me laugh my butt off.

Had a really nice last dinner with our family from Sweden. I'm sad they're leaving tomorrow, but it's amazing how nothing changes over the years. The last time they were here was 2008, but it honestly feels like no time at all has passed when we're together. Hopefully it won't be another five years before I see them again this time!